After Life
by writinishmehlife13
Summary: What would happen if Gong-gil and Jangsaeng didn't die? From the Korean movie: The King and the Clown Summaries aren't my thing.. just as many people say here, but R&R? The beginning is slow, but still, reviews would help!


_After Life_

By: writinishmehlife13

* * *

Silence was raking the both of them... it was broken by the small crackle of what they could make of a fire. Soft breathing... barely audible. Finally, unable to take it any longer, he stood up.

"No, Gong-gil, like I said, you musn't sell such things."

Frozen to the spot, the young man looked down at his friend... his only friend that ever cared for him so. Jangsaeng's grip on Gong-gil's hand was tight and firm. Finally with a heavy sigh, Gong-gil sat next to his friend very close as they were both huddled over a poor fire.

"What are we to do for food?" He asked hastily, staring at him. "There isn't a tightrope for miles and all the villages have stricken with famine! We're going to die, Jang! We're-"

"Shut up!"

Silence.

Sigh.

"Listen, Gong-gil," Jang started after a short while. "Who said we needed a tightrope to make money? It's the stories the people like and how good the performance is! Have you forgotten already?"

The feminine looking man remained quiet, staring into the fire instead of his friend.

"Don't ignore me, Gong-gil."

"I'm _not_," He said quietly, hugging his knees now. "I just feel so helpless, and I'm just so unsure of what to do." His voice shook and he lowered his head. Jangsaeng sighed, and within seconds he heard the small sobs of Gong-gil. He reached out and touched his shoulder, and had the boy lean against him.

"You're not helpless, Gong-gil, it's not only you that feels this way."

Gong-gil sniffled and looked up at him. "But.. you can't help it... you're-"

"I know," He cut him off. "I know."

The cold November nipped at them, and from what they had of their belongings, they tried to keep warm with body heat and what they used for bedding. Jangsaeng was worried for Gong-gil. Everyday, he felt the boys ribs and mentally measured the thickness of fat that was still on him. He worried about him more than his own well being, and he was blind.

Sometimes Jang had nightmares and would wake in a cold sweat. He'd feel for Gong-gil's heart to make sure he was still alive.

Often times, Jang was left with dreamless nights and would often wake up before Gong-gil, or the other way around. He felt terribly bad for the boy... he had his whole life ahead of him and yet it was slowly crumbling into nothing because he had him stay. Sometimes Jangsaeng regretted that Gong-gil ever followed him, but then he thought that if he didn't have the boy, he'd probably be lost.

Once it was morning, Jang was still asleep, only to be awaken by a harsh cough.

He jumped, and he heard that the cough tried to stifle, but it was no good. Slowly, Jang sat up and knew that it was Gong-gil. When it became apparent that he was hysterically coughing, he reached for him, found his back and started to pat him roughly. The boy coughed hard enough that he retched, and finally, did that announce, he was done. Still, Jang patted his back gently and then rubbed it.

"We can't spend another night out here." Jang finally said.

If only he could see, Gong-gil's face was red from coughing so hard, as was what he vomited. He wiped his mouth and stared at his vomit horridly and shivered.

"But where will we go?" He asked quietly.

"We'll find a place.. we will."

They gathered their things and started to head east. They walked through the fields of what used to be high grass, yet all of it was dead from the coming cold as the earth was turning slowly each day. Gong-gil knew that he was getting sick, but there was no way he could hide it from Jang...

When they grew tired, they stopped.

As they sat in the growing cold, Jang started to pat around on the ground. Gong-gil watched him, unamused, but watched nonetheless. He got on all fours and continued to pat the ground, he seemed to be looking for something. Gong-gil didn't question, but soon enough, Jang found a long stick and got himself on his feet.

He used the stick the pat the ground, and bumped into Gong-gil on purpose.

"Ouch, ow, ow, ow!" Jang stumbled away. "Watch where you're going!"

Gong-gil just stared.. even their little inside joke wasn't working. Jang of course, ignored his lack of excitement and continued anyway.

"Aye... I thought you were Kang the Blind, not Jung the Deaf!" He laughed.

Silence.

"Let's see," Jangsaeng started again. "Am I over here and you over there?"

Nothing.

"No, I'm here and you are there?"

...

Jang finally sighed and sat down where he stood. It was quiet between the two of them, and Jang suddenly thought that maybe Gong-gil actually left him. He reached out, thinking that maybe he was sitting in front of him, and started to pat for him. When he touched hair on the ground, Jangsaeng flinched, but then felt the boy's face, his eyes were closed.

"Gong-gil?"

With panic in him, his hand trailed down to his chest to feel his heart. It was still beating, he was still alive.

"Gong-gil," He started, doing his best to make him sit up. He clapped his palm against his cheek, trying to wake him up. Gong-gil blinked a few times, trying to focus. He sighed suddenly and looked at Jang.

"We've rested too long. Let's go."

They walked in silence again. Jang could hear the loud gurgles from Gong-gil's stomach and it worried him. They needed to find food soon... now.

Jang held onto Gong-gil, making sure that he wasn't stumbling. The air smelled like rotted stone that had been withered away long before the both of them had been born. By now that they had nothing but each other and whatever they picked up along the road for the past months, Jang would lay anywhere... anywhere but the hard ground.

"Gong-gil," Jang's voice started. "Is there a village nearby?"

He stopped suddenly, and his slanted eyes scanned the area they were stranded in. He breathed in deeply and let out his breath slowly. If there was no village nearby then they would have to make do with the outside again.

"I... I don't know."

"Hm.. find a rock, Gong-gil."

Without asking questions, he dragged Jang to where he could find the nearest rock. When he did, he stood in front of it and asked Jang why he wanted him to find a rock.

"If there's a patch of moss on one side... a village should be nearby." Jang smiled to himself. "It's knowledge that I've always known, and I have yet to test of it will fail me."

Gong-gil stared at the rock, fortunately, it did have moss, but even if it did, Jang didn't know if that theory even worked. He guessed the both of them had nothing to lose, and so the both of them took the direction where the moss pointed. As Gong-gil looked ahead, he saw no village, but patches of withering grass and dirt.

Their feet were aching and finally, Gong-gil fell on his knees, letting go of Jang.

"Are we there, Gong-gil?"

Silence.

* * *

I'd like to continue... but not sure if anyone else would too. So, comments, critiques? I guess I shouldn't be expecting too many reviews since not a lot of people know about the movie _The King and the Clown. _Then again, I could be wrong. -shrug- Leaving it as is until I finish _Another Kind of Love. _

-writinishmehlife13


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